Double trouble in City’s low-lying areas

Double trouble in City’s low-lying areas
Deccan Herald

Rain has driven out residents in low-lying areas from their houses. While those owning houses in the areas will return, many tenants have terminated contracts.

The owners of houses located in low-lying areas on City outskirts, especially those located near the overflowing tanks, are facing double trouble. The first trouble, of course, is that the areas are flooded and the houses inundated. The second one is that several tenants in these areas are leaving their houses and moving to safer areas.

At Shivashaktinagar near JP Nagar, which has been flooded with water overflowing from Chunchagatta lake, several tenants have vacated. They think it might take a long time to restore normalcy as the mud roads (there are no tar roads in this revenue layout) resemble paddy fields.

A resident near Puttenahally tank wondered: “How can you expect them not to leave their houses, when sewage water, mixed with slush, is entering their houses – even into the bedrooms and pooja room?” Nearly 25 per cent of the residents, including those living in own houses, have left, a resident of Shivashaktinagar said. While the house owners would come back after the water recedes, most of the tenants are terminating their rent contracts, he said.

When former prime minister H D Deve Gowda visited the area on Wednesday, the residents expressed their anguish and said they have not even slept for the last few days.

Officials blamed

Chinnappa Naidu, a small-time businessman in Shivashaktinagar, points to the knee-deep sewage water in his small house and says there is not even space to cook. The residents allege that the officials and civic agencies have failed to wriggle them out of the mess. Realising that self-help is the best way, they have now placed sandbags in front of their houses to prevent entry of water.

Three persons died due to the floods on Wednesday. A nine-year-old boy, Kumar, was washed away in a drain while catching fish at the Silk Board junction; a BMP worker, Srikanta (35), was washed away while cleaning a drain on Sadashivnagar 5th Main, 9th Cross; and one, Venkatesh (32), was drowned in a drain on Dickenson road while trying to clean it. More than 600 people were evacuated with the help of armymen in Balaji Layout, Nagavara, Devinagar and other areas under Byatarayanapura CMC limits on the wee hours of Wednesday. Nearly 50 houses collapsed and more than 2,000 people were displaced in K R Puram area.

Hundreds of residents of Nayandahalli, ITI Colony and surrounding areas blocked the busy Mysore road on Wednesday morning demanding quick relief and construction of a channel to Nayandahalli lake.

Potholes galore

Heavy rains have resulted in potholes across the City, some of them posing danger to life and limb. Some roads have caved in. A stretch on BEL Road has caved in, posing a threat to vehicles and citizens.

Water is yet to recede in Mangammanapalya, Vajpayeenagar, Ayodhyanagar and HSR Layout under Bommanahalli CMC limits. Two schools – Image English School and Royal English School – in J P Nagar 7th Phase still remain inundated. Hosur road remains flooded.

With rain gods showing mercy, the authorities were able to come out to clean up roads and take up relief and rehabilitation works. However, the disturbing fact is that gastroenteritis has broken out. There is an increase of 40 per cent in the in-patient admission rates in hospitals.

According to officials, in Bangalore urban district, 8,802 houses got inundated and 374 houses collapsed in the rains. The officials claimed they have rehabilitated 2,122 people.

Politicians including Governor T N Chaturvedi, Chief Minister N Dharam Singh and Mayor Narayana Swamy, made a beeline to the affected areas. After the inspection at the Silk Board Junction, where knee-deep water has accumulated, the bus carrying the chief minister did not start. It had to be pushed to some distance before it got on the wheels.